


scrunchies

by johnyongclub



Category: NCT (Band)
Genre: Babysitting, Christmas Fluff, Christmas Special, First Dates, First Kiss, M/M, Mistletoe
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-24
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-11 02:55:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,633
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28198014
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/johnyongclub/pseuds/johnyongclub
Summary: The food is alright, the coffee sucks, but the boy in that pink apron with dyed pink hair is pretty and it doesn't matter that he doesn't know how to make cupcakes taste decent but at least he's good at decorating, right?
Relationships: Lee Taeyong/Suh Youngho | Johnny
Comments: 7
Kudos: 100
Collections: Under The Mistletoe





	scrunchies

**Author's Note:**

> UTM07. to the prompter, im sorry if this is below your expectations but i hope you enjoyed it anyway!

The clock is ticking but it's ticking so slowly, every second feeling like a whole minute and every minute like an hour. Johnny should probably stop looking at his watch if he doesn't want Taeil to catch him but it's almost three in the afternoon and the cute— the bakery across the street might close earlier today and Johnny really, really wants a muffin.

Well, the muffin is mediocre and the americano isn't the best in town but it's been three months since he'd been moved to this area for a new mission with his team and Johnny couldn't find any other cafe that's almost as nice as this one.

Right, right, he is a terrible liar. The food is alright, the coffee sucks, but the boy in that pink apron with dyed pink hair is pretty and it doesn't matter that he doesn't know how to make cupcakes taste decent but at least he's good at decorating, right? He should probably hire a better barista.

Johnny lets out a quiet sigh. It's Friday, meaning that cute baker from across the street, Taeyong, won't stay for the rest of the night. Johnny only knows this because he's frequent the cafe almost everyday and not because he was watching closely. No, not at all. Definitely not because his line of work allows him some kind of permission into the townies' information. He  _ certainly  _ did not find out Taeyong's address.

He isn't lying. Any other man would probably breach that security but if he wants to pursue a little something (not that he has any intention to) with pretty little Taeyong, he knows there must be trust in there and finding out Taeyong's number or address from a source that isn't Taeyong himself would be creepy. He can say goodbye to even saying hi.

"Is there a wife somewhere waiting for your return, Agent Suh?" Agent Moon asks with a brow quirked upward, expecting an answer. He must have noticed Johnny checking his wristwatch like five times a minute.

Johnny shakes his head, masking it with a laugh. "What wife? Don't be ridiculous. It's just been a long day."

Kunhang is eyeing him closely, a teasing look on his face because maybe, just maybe, he might be the only one who knows about Johnny's childish little crush on the cute, pink-haired Taeyong. Johnny avoids his gaze. 

"He probably just wanna get coffee from that cafe across the street," Yukhei says and Johnny panics for a millisecond before the younger adds, "He's got horrible taste for muffins."

"It's the worst," Dejun agrees. "It's got really pretty designs and the owner? Or like, the baker is mad cute but goddamn, they can't make muffins. Or coffee."

Johnny clears his throat. It's stupid and obviously people with eyes could see that Taeyong is cute but he's a little jealous. Maybe if he keeps stalling, someone else might grab the chance. Fuck. "Can we focus on the meeting?"

Taeil, or more commonly known as Agent Moon, chuckles quietly. He wraps up the meeting with praises on their recent success but doesn't end it until after he tosses a few stacks of files on the conference table. Johnny groans inwardly. 

Damn paperwork.

  
  


* * *

  
  


Now clad in a simple pair of jeans and a black hoodie, Johnny is finally off work and he's seated on an empty booth in the cafe, thinking about what he should get next that hopefully wouldn't be too bad. He hasn't seen Taeyong either so he hopes the boy hasn't left the place just yet.

With his head dipped down as he tries to reply to Kunhang's messages, his hair keeps getting in his face and he sucks his teeth, annoyed. He'd kept his blond locks long for the previous field mission, when he had to go for an undercover and it's long enough to graze his shoulders. He's considering chopping them off because it's been an inconvenience.

In the end he pockets his phone, ignoring Kunhang's annoying texts, and he leans back against his seat, tapping his foot onto the floor. A familiar voice comes from the kitchen and it has Johnny straightening up, not wanting to slouch and sure enough, the door opens and Taeyong steps out with a huff, seemingly upset at whoever he was on the phone with.

Taeyong's lips break into a grin as soon as he sees Johnny and Johnny anticipates his usual greeting. It comes a second later; "Hi, Johnny! You're late today. Busy?"

The last time someone made Johnny this nervous was when he was eleven. "Yeah, had paperwork to do. You still here?"

"Mhm," Taeyong nods, going around the counter with a plate of Johnny's usual chocolate muffin to place on his table. "I'm closing early today. My sister wants me to help look after the kids. What a bummer, really."

Johnny pulls the plate closer to him as a natural response, "You don't like kids?"

"I love kids," Taeyong is quick to defend himself. "My sister, not so much. I mean, obviously, I do, but she likes putting her responsibilities on me like I don't have my own plate full. Look at this place, it's gonna close down if it doesn't do better in, like, the next month!"

Johnny decides against biting into his muffin, once Taeyong has said more than a sentence to him. His failure to say anything in response makes Taeyong sigh and then he's smiling apologetically at Johnny.

"Sorry, I overshared, didn't I?" Taeyong shakes his head, stuffing hands in the pockets of his apron before he turns back to head to the counter. He comes back with a strange looking slice of cake, putting it on the table as well. "Will you try this and tell me what you think?"

Johnny stares at the vanilla cake with what seems like heaps of fresh cream as its frosting, pinks and purples decorating the outer layer. "Yeah, absolutely. It looks great already!"

Taeyong scrunches up his nose. He grabs a fork and hands it to Johnny. "You're literally the only regular we have, so I'd like it if you could be honest."

"Okay," Johnny shrugs. He takes the fork and cuts a small piece of the cake, all the while hoping that it isn't bad like all the others because how unfair would that be? It's such a pretty cake. It should taste as pretty. He takes a bite. He thinks he might get a sugar rush if he has another. 

"So…?"

Johnny clears his throat. He intends to be honest, but instead he says; "It's good!"

Taeyong sighs, sitting himself down opposite Johnny, looking displeased. Johnny feels like when he was ten again, caught lying to his mom about having done his homework. Taeyong leans in and this close, his large brown eyes remind Johnny of those pearly bobas in his favorite bubble tea. 

Then Taeyong says, "If I agree to go out with you, will you be honest with me?"

Johnny chokes on the cake he was having difficulty swallowing, flustered as his cheeks heat up almost too quickly. "What?"

"There's a reason why you keep coming back, right?" Taeyong quirks a single eyebrow up in question. "It can't be the food or the coffee. Did you just like looking at me from your seat? Because I know you're staring whenever I'm at the counter."

_ Fuck, fuck, fuck.  _ How the hell did he let that slip? Of course Taeyong would notice he was staring. Although he thinks he can't be blamed entirely; Taeyong has the prettiest smile. Johnny clenches his jaw, embarrassed but also knowing he's already at this point, so might as well, right?

"You'll really go out with me?" He asks, placing the fork down.

Taeyong can't even hide his smile. "Yes. I leave the shop early tomorrow. I don't like fancy restaurants, they make me nervous. I'd really like it if we could get something sweet."

With that, Taeyong rises to his feet and turns on his heel, back behind the counter, where he serves another customer with an equally bright smile. Johnny's left a little stunned in his seat, not quite believing that this is happening but he doesn't stay long to find out if Taeyong was kidding.

  
  


* * *

  
  


"No fucking way," Kunhang is laughing and not even the soft stupid giggles he does whenever he finds something funny (like when Dejun makes an unfunny joke) but that obnoxious, boisterous laugh Johnny half hates. 

He glares at his roommate slash supposed best friend for his lack of kind faith. Kunhang thinks Johnny stands no chance with Taeyong, but Johnny's about to prove him wrong. If he was skeptical before, now he's determined to make it a good one for Taeyong, enough for him to consider a second date.

Ignoring Kunhang, he sprays cologne onto himself, just a little so it doesn't overwhelm Taeyong. His hair is kept in a half ponytail, since they aren't going to any fancy places. He's had it all planned out; he'd bring Taeyong to a diner for a meal, they would get ice cream seeing as Taeyong had mentioned wanting something sweet and then maybe after, they'd take a little walk because movies are mediocre.

He smiles at his reflection, confident that this date would go well. He's had a good reputation back in school when it comes to getting the girls or boys. Sure, it's been about ten years since he graduated high school, but his charms live on.

"You know what, Kunhang?" Johnny says as he grabs his car keys off the table. "Enjoy your Saturday alone. Maybe do a little manifestation that Dejun would acknowledge your crush on him."

Kunhang clenches his jaw, an attempt to look intimidating, but Johnny still dodges the pillow he throws at him. As Johnny walks out the door, Kunhang shouts; "I don't have a crush on Dejun!!!"

Johnny laughs after closing the door to his shared apartment, always amused that he gets the last laugh in almost every argument they had. Kunhang wants to be tough when he's really just soft inside. It's still amazing how he still managed to pull off the hardest jobs on the field. It's admirable.

The drive to the cafe doesn't take more than ten minutes. Johnny could have walked but the places he'd planned to bring Taeyong are farther away and making Taeyong walk blocks after blocks is a recipe for disaster. 

When he pulls up at the driveway, he sees Taeyong stepping out of the cafe, looking worried and panicky and then relieved when he sees Johnny climbing out of the car.

"Oh, thank god you're here!" Taeyong says. He's wearing a thick, knitted scarf around his neck to keep himself warm. Johnny's so used to the weather he forgets it's almost winter.

He smiles, however, because Taeyong looks cute. "Hey, everything okay?"

"I'm so, so, so sorry," Taeyong rambles, his wide eyes glassy with guilt. "I know I said we could go on a date tonight but my sister's husband got into an accident and I have to help with the kids. Can we raincheck, please?"

Johnny's nodding even before Taeyong finished speaking, "Yeah, of course. Of course. Do you have a ride over?"

Taeyong shakes his head. "I'll call for a cab, or something."

"I can drive you there," Johnny offers without thinking twice. He has nothing else to do now anyway, right?

"I-" Taeyong is shaking his head again, a small smile on his lips. It's the first time Johnny has seen him look so exhausted. "It's really okay, Johnny. I appreciate it. And I feel so bad for canceling last minute. You got all ready! I'm horrible!"

Johnny laughs softly, because Taeyong is adorable and he needs to stop making Johnny's heart beat too fast. "It's really okay, Taeyong. Come, let me drive you there."

In the end, Taeyong caves in and Johnny leads him to his car. The drive isn't too long, about fifteen minutes or so, and would've been longer if the traffic was a bitch. Taeyong softly navigates the roads to take and before long, Johnny is pulling up into a small neighborhood. 

The house he stops in front of is small but it looks homey from the outside. He wonders if Taeyong lives in a similar setting. At the door of the house, a woman stood with two little girls on each of her sides. Taeyong tells Johnny to give him a second before he steps out and Johnny watches as he converses with the woman, who gives him a hug before climbing into her own car and driving off.

Johnny waits as Taeyong speaks to his little nieces, the oldest seems to be about six years old and the younger three or four. Johnny smiles when Taeyong returns, rolling down the window so he could hear Taeyong.

"Would you.." Taeyong starts, looking nervous. "Would you like to come in?"

Johnny blinks. They haven't even gone on a date. When is it appropriate to step into your person of interest's  _ family's  _ house? Not even Taeyong's, but his sister's. Then again, who made the rules? Johnny nods once but it apparently doesn't convince Taeyong, who quickly splutters.

"You don't have to! I just feel really bad that I had to cancel," Taeyong explains. "The kids are well-behaved and they're really friendly. If you don't mind staying a few hours, I could cook us some dinner?"

It sounds too good for Johnny to pass up on so he smiles and turns off the ignition before climbing out the vehicle. Taeyong is beaming as he leads Johnny into the house, where the girls are already playing with their dolls on the floor of the living room. They don't acknowledge him.

"Excuse me for a second," Taeyong says, running his fingers through his fluffy pink hair before he removes the scarf he was wearing. "Would you like anything to drink?"

Johnny contemplates on where exactly to sit, since the bigger couch is already occupied by some of the girls' toys. "Water would be great."

Taeyong smiles wider with a nod of his head and then he disappears and leaves Johnny alone for nearly thirty minutes. Fortunately, the girls are too busy playing with their toys to bother saying hi but Johnny feels like a creepy intruder sitting in the living room with two kids he doesn't know.

He clears his throat and the older girl lifts her head to do a double take. She looks at his face and then his hair and she smiles, missing a tooth. "Your hair's really pretty!"

"Yong-yongie hair," The younger girl speaks up, already up on her feet. She tugs at her older sister's dress and points at Johnny's half ponytail. "Yong-yongie hair!"

"She says it's pretty like Yong-yongie's hair," The older girl says, "My name's Sooyoung, my sister's Yeri! You know our Yong-yongie?"

Johnny panics just a little bit. The last time he's had anything to do with children was when his cousin Mark knocked up some girl from his university and became a young dad, and that was almost a year ago back in the states. Even then, the baby was a tiny little human and couldn't speak.

"We're friends," Johnny tells her,  _ for now _ . Because obviously he wants to be  _ more  _ than friends. It's Taeyong and Johnny's had a crush on him for the longest time (three months).

Taeyong steps out of the kitchen just in time, Johnny's hero. He's wearing an apron again. "Are you girls bothering Johnny?"

"No!" Sooyoung giggles and Johnny watches as she goes over to Taeyong to whisper something into his ear while Yeri stays behind, staring and smiling at Johnny.

Taeyong is smiling when Sooyoung retreats. "Okay, we'll ask Johnny if we can do that. But you have to finish your dinner first or we won't get to play. Okay?"

Both the girls nod their heads, proving Taeyong right when he claimed they are well-behaved kids. Johnny rises to his feet, intending to help Taeyong with whatever needed to be done. There's something domestic about this entire date and Johnny  _ knows  _ it's too early to be thinking it but he's twenty-seven and that's an okay age to think about it, right?

"What did you make for dinner?" He asks, coming up behind Taeyong while he eyes whatever that's on the stove.

Taeyong hums, "The girls love pasta so it's really just, me following my sister's recipe. I can't cook but I think you know that."

He looks so dejected, like a puppy who's just been told it can't do rolls and it feels like a punch in the gut. Johnny clears his throat, "I'm sure you can. You've got a whole cafe."

"People hate the food," Taeyong huffs, tossing the dishcloth onto the counter and grabbing four plates off the rack with a sigh. "I think I might close down the cafe."

Johnny panics. He seems to be panicking a  _ lot _ tonight. He busies himself with taking the plates from Taeyong. "But don't you love the cafe? Don't you think it's too soon to think about closing it?"

Taeyong smiles at him in kind, no confidence in his eyes as he carries the pot of pasta sauce out onto the dining table, where the girls are already seated. Johnny follows, placing the plates down. Taeyong doesn't say anything yet, simply portioning the spaghetti onto the plates for the girls and two more presumably for Johnny and himself. 

"Eat your food, okay?" Taeyong tells the girls after pouring pasta sauce over the spaghetti and the girls nod before they dive into the meals. 

Assuming Taeyong doesn't want to talk about it, Johnny sits next to him and helps himself to the dish. The table is quiet for an uncomfortably long five minutes but Johnny doesn't break the silence, feeling he might have pried too much and maybe offended Taeyong a little bit. _ Way to go, Suh. _

The girls take a long, long time to finish. By the time they claim to be full, their plates are only half finished and Johnny helps Taeyong clean the table while Taeyong helps the girls wash up. They disappear back into the living room, giving Johnny some alone time with Taeyong.

To his relief, Taeyong speaks up with a chuckle. "Sorry, I don't wanna talk about the cafe with the girls around. They're little snitches and they're gonna tell my sister."

"That's okay," Johnny says as he washes the plates. It isn't what he'd had in mind when he was getting ready earlier but surprisingly it doesn't feel too bad. "Understandable. Kids can't ever lie or keep secrets, can they?"

Taeyong giggles, "Never. They're nice, they like the cafe, they said it's pretty."

"Like you," Johnny blurts out, something he probably should have kept to himself but oddly doesn't regret saying. "I mean, it's only right for the cafe to be as pretty as the owner, right?"

There are pink dusts on Taeyong's cheeks, either from the cold or from what Johnny had said. He deems it as a good thing. Taeyong is smiling and it's pretty, Taeyong is always pretty, with the pretty pink hair and that pretty nose scrunch when he laughs and those pretty boba eyes. Johnny's hooked.

"You're sweet," Taeyong says a little shyly, drying his hands using the rag and then turning so he's leaning against the counter, smiling at Johnny. "But are you sweet enough to let the girls play with your hair?"

Ten minutes later, Johnny is seated on the floor of Taeyong's sister's living room with Taeyong next to him and the two girls working on their hair. Sooyoung is doing Johnny's, tiny hands weaving through his blonde strands into what she claims to be two braids while Yeri tugs and ties Taeyong's pink hair into a coconut tree hairstyle, one that matches hers.

"You should put these scrunchies around your hand," Sooyoung says, getting off the couch she could roll the pastel pink scrunchy onto Johnny's wrist. "Mama says if our braids come off the scrunchies will help."

Johnny laughs, "Yeah? That's nice. Can I keep this then?"

"It's yours now!"

Yeri, like a normal child copycat, follows what her sister had done and tries her best to roll the yellow scrunchy onto Taeyong's wrist. Taeyong responds to this with a high-pitched coo, patting Yeri's cheek in a praise.

They play for a little more before Taeyong tells the girls it's time for bed. He'd gotten a message from his sister earlier of an update on how his brother in law is doing and luckily, he's already conscious and only needs to be warded for the night. 

Johnny stays downstairs while Taeyong tucks the girls in. It doesn't take long before he's back and it isn't surprising, since it's already past ten and the girls had been playing so much. He's only half envious of how easily these kids could sleep. 

When Taeyong returns, his hair still stood in the coconut tree style and it makes Johnny smile at the sight, patting the seat next to him for Taeyong to join. "Exhausted?"

"Not really," Taeyong says with a sigh as he drops himself onto the couch. "Thank you for helping out, Johnny."

Johnny waves it off, "It's nothing. I got to spend time with you so that's really nice. And the girls are sweet."

Taeyong beams, "You made me smile a lot tonight. I've had the longest day and it got worse when my sister called because I was looking forward to our date and then I was worried as hell about my brother in law and, just, having you here made everything so much better. Thank you."

"You're welcome, Taeyong," Johnny says with a soft smile. He feels somewhat soft on the inside, watching Taeyong like this, so close yet so far. Is it okay if he kisses him? Maybe they should go on that date first. He clears his throat. "I should let you rest up. Thanks for dinner, though."

He stands up and Taeyong is quick to scramble up onto his feet as well. "We're still- I mean, like, is the date still on?"

Johnny's smile widens. "Whenever you're free to."

"There's a Christmas party," Taeyong adds, "Next Friday and it's just a small one with mostly friends and maybe some family. I'd like it if you could come…"

"You want me to meet your friends and family?"

Taeyong pales. It's amusing, really. "No! I mean, yes? Sure, whenever the time is right. I just meant it would be nice to have you around. And also because I don't think I'll be free until the night of the party. God, I'm sorry."

Johnny laughs with a shake of his head, "I'll be more than happy to see you at the party, Taeyong. No worries, yeah? I'll text you?"

"Yes, please," Taeyong exhales, visibly relaxed. "Is it okay if I text you tonight?"

Johnny wants to kiss Taeyong so  _ bad _ but he holds himself back and nods his head instead. "I'll text you as soon as I'm home, so you know I made it home."

Taeyong smiles sheepishly, cheeks pink again as he walks Johnny to the door. "I'll be waiting. Please drive safe."

He waits for a beat. Pause. And then Johnny leans in to press a brief peck on Taeyong's cheek. "See you soon."

He doesn't dare turn back but he could feel Taeyong's grin even as he drives away.

  
  


* * *

  
  


"You're seriously ditching us to go on a date at a Christmas party?" Kunhang is asking in disbelief, catching up with Johnny as he makes his way home from the office. 

It's Thursday and he hadn't bothered telling Kunhang that he's going to the party on Friday, which explains that look of betrayal on his best friend's face. To be honest, Johnny didn't think Kunhang would be upset. They didn't even plan the night out until yesterday so it isn't really Johnny's fault.

"It's only one time, Kunhang," Johnny says, pocketing his gloved hands into his coat. The weather is extra cold today and Kunhang is swallowed in his scarfs and layers. "Can't we shift it to Saturday? My treat?"

Kunhang huffs, pout on his lips. "I was seriously hoping to hit on Dejun tomorrow."

"I thought you said you don't have a crush on him?"

The younger glares at Johnny, "You know I didn't mean that."

Johnny chuckles, "Yeah, yeah. Look, why don't you tell the guys we'll go on Saturday instead?"

Kunhang is silent for a moment as they both walk in the direction of their shared apartment but Johnny knows his best friend isn't mad anymore. Kunhang is never mad, just sulky, like a baby, whenever he doesn't get what he wants. 

"You really like this guy, huh?" He says just as Johnny opens the door to their home. 

Johnny smiles, shrugging off his coat and hanging it up on the coat rack before taking off his shoes. "I guess. He's nice."

"What if he turns out to be a psycho?" Kunhang asks casually. Not surprising, coming from him. 

"Never know if I don't try," Johnny shrugs, "Coffee?"

Kunhang shakes his head, "I want pizza. You owe me for canceling last minute."

Johnny rolls his eyes but tosses Kunhang the phone as a silent gesture that he'll buy them pizza. They spend the night watching movies but Johnny can't focus, especially when all he could think about is how tomorrow would go. He's maybe a little nervous about meeting people that Taeyong knows but it's Christmas. What could go wrong, right?

Kunhang ends up falling asleep on the couch, leaving Johnny to clean up the table so they don't start stinking up the apartment. He wonders what would happen if he were to ever move out, from the way Kunhang fails to take care of himself. He's like a little brother to Johnny now, it's a shame their jobs like to separate them. 

After cleaning up the living room, Johnny makes sure to grab a blanket and pull it over Kunhang's sleeping body. He doesn't bother waking him up, knowing it'd be pointless. So instead of doing that, Johnny retires into his room for the night. It's as soon as he's on the bed that he gets a text.

It's Taeyong. Johnny beams.

**_taeyong:_ ** _ you awake? _

**_me:_ ** _ yeah, you too? why aren't you asleep? _

**_taeyong:_ ** _ just finished up with decorating. exhausted :( _

**_taeyong:_ ** _ im excited to see you!! _

Johnny smiles at his screen. He could almost hear Taeyong's voice. Quickly, he types back a reply.

**_me:_ ** _ you're cute. i can't wait to see you too. _

**_taeyong:_ ** _ hehehe im gonna be wearing white. just saying c: _

**_me:_ ** _ aah, i'll take note of that _

**_taeyong:_ ** _ i'll go get some sleep now. goodnight, johnny ❤ _

**_me:_ ** _ goodnight, yongie <3 _

He reads the texts about a dozen more times before he finally puts his phone down, smiling like a teenager spending the night on the phone with his crush. Whatever. He doesn't mind being a teenager again when it comes to Taeyong.

  
  


* * *

  
  


For someone as excited as he was the night before, Johnny sure is nervous enough to feel his fingers shake just a little. He's put on a white sweater to match Taeyong, since it isn't a fancy party and he isn't expected to wear a suit. He'd kept his hair up in another half ponytail, hoping to look decent enough that he won't embarrass both himself and Taeyong.

He pulls up to the address Taeyong had texted him about five minutes too early so he stays in the car for about two minutes before he finds the courage to walk up to the door. It's still snowing so he's covered in layers. Christmas lights decorate the outside of the house and lighting up from within. Johnny can already hear the sound of childrens' laughter.

He inhales and exhales. He'd only brought wine as a gift and small presents for Taeyong's nieces. He doesn't think he'd actually be this nervous, for someone who works with  _ people,  _ then again, this is Taeyong. And he hasn't ever gone on a date with Taeyong and now he's already meeting family and friends? He's starting to think there's a reason why whoever made the rule of it being too fast actually made the rule. He's not ready.

The door opens before he could knock but luckily it's only Taeyong, whose smile widens as soon as he sees Johnny.

"You're here! I was worried I scared you away," Taeyong laughs before he remembers that it's freezing cold outside. "Come in, come in. I'm so happy you're here!"

Johnny smiles as steps into the house. Taeyong is wearing white, just like he said he would and it oddly matches Johnny's sweater. Once he's inside, Taeyong helps with his coat and scarf before thanking him for the wine and then disappearing for a moment, just enough time for Johnny to be swarmed with the girls from the other day.

"It's Johnny!!" Sooyoung, the older one, cries out as she runs up to him, her little sister tailing behind. 

"Heyyy," Johnny laughs as they hug at his legs, left to pat the tops of their heads. "Yeah, it's me. Have you girls been behaving today?"

Both Sooyoung and Yeri nod their heads. Sooyoung beams up at him when she speaks, "We've been so good! Mama said because we're good, Santa has nice presents for us."

"He sure does," Johnny crouches down so he's level with them, smiling as he takes out the two small boxes he'd wrapped up just for them. "And I do too, because you've been very good hairstylists for me so I got these ones for you."

Sooyoung cheers, jumping up and down as she takes the presents, her sister following and Johnny watches as the two run back towards where he assumes their mother would be. Taeyong comes back with a grin, stepping towards Johnny with pinks on his cheeks. 

"No presents for me?" Taeyong asks cheekily.

Johnny stuffs his hands into his pockets, just so he doesn't accidentally pull Taeyong into his arms. "I'm saving the best for last."

Taeyong rolls his eyes, hooking a hand over Johnny's arm to pull him further into the house. "Come meet my family and friends."

His heart stops for a second but he tells himself it'll be okay. The house isn't Taeyong's sister's from before but bigger, like a family house instead of someone living alone or in four. Farther inside, there are about a dozen or so people. If it was any other occasion, like a job on the field, Johnny would have blended in easily. Acting comes easy but this is real life. 

Taeyong leads him to a lady first, someone who looks much like Taeyong himself. His sister, Johnny presumes. Taeyong introduces them, "Noona, this is my friend, Johnny. Johnny, my sister, Taeyeon noona."

Johnny bows in a greeting and Taeyeon says something about making himself feel at home before she excuses herself to deal with her children. He's introduced to more family members and friends, ones whose names he stores closely within his memory. Johnny is good with names and faces, not so much making friends, though. But that's okay. 

They don't make him feel unwelcome and by the end of dinner, they're telling him jokes and he's laughing over something Taeyong's brother in law said. He feels like he fits right in, now all he has to do is make sure he and Taeyong don't remain just friends. What a loss that would be.

He dreads it when the night comes to an end. Almost everyone else is heading home and Johnny doesn't feel like it's enough time spent with Taeyong. Tomorrow can't come soon enough. Even though he has plans with the guys at night, the cafe still opens during the day.

"Thanks for coming tonight," Taeyong says. They're standing on the porch, smiling at each other. "They really like you."

Johnny smiles, his heart feels light. Like clouds. "I sure hope they do. I'm hoping this isn't the last time."

"No way," Taeyong giggles. "Will you be at the cafe tomorrow?"

"I'll be at the door before it even opens."

Taeyong's smile brightens. "I might have a gift for you."

"What's that?"

When Taeyong's gaze lifts up, Johnny follows it, only to find a mistletoe hanging on top, between them. Johnny's smile widens into a full on grin. He'd planned to kiss Taeyong before he goes home. The chance just presented itself.

Johnny leans in and Taeyong closes his eyes. He takes a moment to admire Taeyong's face, so pretty, so precious, so beautiful. And he's about to kiss one of the most beautiful men he'd ever gotten the chance to know. Johnny feels blessed. He doesn't make Taeyong wait too long, leaning in to press a kiss onto his lips. When Taeyong parts his, Johnny takes it as permission to deepen the kiss. 

His hand curls around the side of Taeyong's neck as he pulls him in, closer so he could kiss harder. Taeyong's arms go around Johnny's waist and something about it feels like perfect puzzle pieces. He's wanted this for nearly four months. And it doesn't feel any less amazing than he'd imagined. 

"Are you free Sunday night?" Johnny asks when they finally pull back, smiling at the pink in Taeyong's cheeks.

Taeyong nods, lips colored like his cheeks. "I am."

"Would you like to go on a date with me?"

Taeyong grins. Johnny grins a little wider and then Taeyong says, "I've wanted to hear you ask me that since the first time you stepped into the cafe."

Three months of staring pathetically, only to know Taeyong's crushed on him for as long? Ah, well. They're here anyway. 

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!!


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